How to take care of acute pancreatitis

Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 01, 2024
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Patients with pancreatitis should pay attention to their diet during the recovery period. The basic dietary principle for pancreatitis patients is to consume small amounts of easily digestible foods, with low protein and fat content, primarily carbohydrates. During acute episodes, it's crucial to strictly control the intake of fatty foods. Once the condition has improved, patients may gradually consume protein-rich, high-vitamin, high-carbohydrate foods, along with non-irritating, easily digestible foods. Patients should avoid consuming large amounts of meat and alcohol, and can eat rice soup, lotus root starch, noodles, etc.

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Written by Huang Ya Juan
Gastroenterology
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Symptoms of Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is divided into acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is a condition caused by various reasons that lead to damage in the pancreatic tissue. This results in the premature activation of enzymes meant for digesting food, which instead begin to digest the pancreas itself. This “self-destructive” behavior leads to a series of consequences known as acute pancreatitis. The symptoms of acute pancreatitis primarily include abdominal pain, predominantly upper abdominal pain, which occurs suddenly and is persistent, severe, or knife-like, with intermittent exacerbation; fever, nausea, vomiting frequently, with vomitus consisting of food, bile, and even blood, and the abdominal pain does not ease after vomiting; some patients may also have jaundice, often caused by gallstones or common bile duct stones inducing pancreatitis, possibly accompanied by itching of the skin. Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is not necessarily caused by repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis, but rather by various causes leading to persistent inflammatory changes in the pancreas, characterized mainly by chronic and persistent inflammation, damage, and fibrosis of the pancreatic parenchyma. This can lead to irreversible morphological changes such as dilation of the pancreatic ducts, pancreatic duct stones, or calcification. Symptoms include abdominal pain, primarily upper abdominal pain, which may radiate to the back, often triggered by alcohol consumption, overeating, a high-fat diet, or fatigue; gastrointestinal symptoms include reduced appetite, bloating, and indigestion; exocrine manifestations include diarrhea, specifically steatorrhea, where the stool contains oil droplets and often has a foul odor; there may also be weight loss, emaciation, and endocrine manifestations, such as what we commonly refer to as diabetes.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
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What can be eaten with severe pancreatitis?

Patients with severe pancreatitis should not eat orally. Historically, suppressing pancreatic enzyme secretion by resting the intestines has been considered an important means of controlling the progression of acute pancreatitis. Currently, the implementation of early enteral nutrition is proposed. Early enteral nutrition should be administered via a jejunal tube, which is safer. The nutritional formulation should be chosen based on the patient's condition and intestinal tolerance. Initially, only glucose water may be used to allow the intestines to adapt to the nutrition. Early nutrition should use low-fat preparations containing amino acids or short peptides, because whole proteins entering the intestine directly without being digested by stomach acid can cause indigestion. As the condition enters the recovery phase, the feeding amount and rate can be gradually increased, and preparations containing whole proteins may be given.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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How to take care of acute pancreatitis

Patients with pancreatitis should pay attention to their diet during the recovery period. The basic dietary principle for pancreatitis patients is to consume small amounts of easily digestible foods, with low protein and fat content, primarily carbohydrates. During acute episodes, it's crucial to strictly control the intake of fatty foods. Once the condition has improved, patients may gradually consume protein-rich, high-vitamin, high-carbohydrate foods, along with non-irritating, easily digestible foods. Patients should avoid consuming large amounts of meat and alcohol, and can eat rice soup, lotus root starch, noodles, etc.

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Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
51sec home-news-image

Which department should I go to for acute pancreatitis?

If acute pancreatitis occurs, it is recommended to register with the Department of Gastroenterology. Acute pancreatitis is generally divided into acute edematous pancreatitis and acute necrotizing pancreatitis. The common form of pancreatitis in daily life is acute edematous pancreatitis, which can be treated conservatively with medication in the gastroenterology department. If acute necrotizing pancreatitis occurs, surgery may be required. In such cases, after registering with the gastroenterology department and identifying a severe condition, an appropriate transfer to another department for treatment can be made. After all, when initially arriving at the hospital, without a detailed examination, it is unclear whether it is edematous or necrotic pancreatitis.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
52sec home-news-image

Severe pancreatitis is what disease

Acute severe pancreatitis is a disease caused by various etiologies, characterized by local necrosis, inflammation, and infection of the pancreas, accompanied by systemic inflammatory response and persistent organ failure. The current mortality rate is still as high as 17%. The course of acute severe pancreatitis can generally be divided into three periods. First, the acute response period, occurring up to about two weeks after onset, is characterized by a systemic inflammatory response. Second, the systemic infection period, from two weeks to about two months, is characterized by infection of pancreatic or peripancreatic necrosis. Third, the residual infection period, occurring two to three months later, where the main clinical manifestation is systemic malnutrition.